Electrical apparatus.



, PATENTED 001". 24,1905. J. E, SBELEY. ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

i [we/afar APPLICATION FILED JULY,20.1904.

a 0 o o A A A A A A A A A AA A AHA A A A A A AA AA A w Q Wm B \N A JA A UNITED STATES PATENT oFrIoE.

JAMES E. SEELEY, OF LOS OHRONOUS STATIC 00., RATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ANGELE'S, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR To SY-' OF'LQS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPO- ELECTRICAL APPARATUS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. '24, 1905.

Application filetl July 20, 1904. Serial No- 217,348-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. SEELEY, aciti zen ofthe United States, residing at Los Ancable to any of such uses.

.An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for this purpose which will 'be adapted for operation by either alternating or direct current, so that it canv be ap-' plied in connection'with any of the usual distributing-circuits now in use.

Another -object of the invention is to prov1de for a maximum energy of discharge for a given amount of energy supplied.

A further object of the invention is to increase the rapidity of oscillation of the discharge.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide for adapting the apparatus'for operation with alternating supply-circuitsof different perlodicity.

The accompanying drawing is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of my invention.

' tinuous The apparatus comprises an electromagnetic device 1, adapted to receive electric energy .from the line-terminals or supply-wires 2 3 and to produce from the direct current or alternating current supplied thereby'disconimpulses of higher potential, a condenser 1 connected to receive such impulses from the electromagnetic device, an induction device having its primary coil 5 connected to receive the discharge from the condenser and its secondary coil 6 connected to discharge terminals 7 8 and adapted .to pro duce at such terminals a discharge whose frequency and potential are sufliciently high to give the desired effects, a switch 9 for changing the supply connection of the electromagnetic charging device 1 to adapt the apparatus to direct current or alternating current, a rheostat or equivalent device 10 for regulating the operationof the apparatus or for adapting it to differences in potential of the supthe production of X described.

ply-circuit, and a switch 11 for making or controlling the connection between the apparatus above specified and the supply-circuit The electromagnetic device 1 comprises a "core or body 12, which may be made of soft iron wire with suitable windings thereon, and

an armature 13, supported in proximity to the end of the core by suitable elastic retracting means, and an interrupter operated by said armature. Said electromagnetic device is preferably wound with two coils 14 15,.the

17 are connected by wires 19 20 with opposite ends of the coil 14, and in the position'of the switch shown in fulllines in the drawing,

"which is that for operation with an alternating current, these arms contact with terminals-21 22, one of which, 21, is connected to one side'of the switch 11, which is assumed to be a double-pole switch, and the other of which, 22, is connected, through rheostat 10, to the other side of said switch 11, thus establishinga supply connection from the linewires 2 3 to the coil 14:, said circuit leading from wire 2 through one side of the switch 11, wire 23 to terminal 21, switch-arm 16, wire,.l9, coil 14, wire 20, switcharm 17, terminal 22, wire 24:, rheostat 10, Wire 26, and the other side of switch 11 to the line-wire 3. Coil or winding 15 is at the same time energized by a parallel connection including the interrupter or circuit-breakel, two of whose.

terminals 28 29 are connected by a spring 36,

also serving as a conductor to the armature 13 aforesaid, "the other terminals 30 31 being fixed and being connected, respectively, We

wire 32 to the outgoing side of switch 11 and by wires 33 34 to arm 18 of switch 9, from which the connection is completed by the terminal 39, wire 25, and coil 15 to wire 24: at the other side of the circuit, as hereinafter In this position of the switch therefore there is a connection from the line through coil 14 of the electromagnetic device for causing the control or operation of said device and of the interrupter operated thereby in response to the alternations of the alternating current, and there is a parallel connection through the coil 15 and through the ICC interrupter for producing the interruptions of the inductance-circuit necessary for the setting up of the high-potential impulses which charge the condenser.

When the switch 9 is moved to the position shown in dotted lines, the arm 16 breaks circuit and the arm 17 makes contact with the terminal 27, connected by wire 25 to one end of the coil 15, whose other end is connected l to wire 24 aforesaid, and through the rheostate and wire 26 to the return side of switch 11. Under these circumstances the connection from the line to the electromagnetic dewire 20, switch-arm 17, terminal 27, wire 25,

coil 15, wire 24, rheostat 10, and wire 26 to the other side of the line-switch 11. Thus in this position of the switch 9 the two energizing-coils 14 15 are placed in series and the interrupter is included in the circuit, whereas in the full-line position the two coils are in parallel and the connection to one of them does not include the interrupter. The condenser-circuit comprises the wire 33', leading from the terminal 31 aforesaid to one side of the condenser 4, and a wire 37 leading from the other side of the condenser to the coil 5,

whose other end is connected by wire 38 to the terminal 30. The wires 33, 37, and 38, coil 5, and generally the connections of the condenser-circuit should be of large cross section, so as to present a minimum resistance, and said wires and coil are preferably formed of conducting-tubes to lessen the inductance thereof.

In order to charge the condenser, it is necessary to maintain a connection therewith from the electromagnetic device 1. This connection in the dotted position of the switch- 9 is established by the arm 18 making contact with the terminal 35 and in the full-line position of the switch by said arm making contact with the terminal 39, connected to wire aforesaid.

One of the energizing-circuits of-the'electromagnetic device being independent of the interrupter, when the apparatus is supplied by alternating current the armature will at such times tend to operate responsively or in synchronism with the alternations of such current, and to insure complete synchronism means are provided for regulating the'periodicity of vibration of said armature. Such means may consist of an elastic support, such as a ribbon 40, having means for adjusting its tension, being, for'example, stretched between a fixed support 41 and a rotatable sup-- port 42, the latter of which is provided with adjusting means, such as an arm 43 and setscrew 44, for adjusting its angular position, and thereby varying the tension of the ribbon 40, so that the free vibration of the armature under the influence of its weight and of said tension will correspond with the frequency of the alternating current being used. It is desirable that the apparatus should be so placed that the ribbon 4O stands on edge to allow the heat from the contacts to be carried off by the ascending air-currents.

The terminals 31 of the interrupter may be formed as screws to permit adjustment thereof. The object of providing the two sets of terminals 28 30 and 29 31 is to give the effect of a long break with relatively small travel of the interrupter. 4

In using the apparatus with direct current the switch 9 is placed in dotted-line position, and the charging-current passes through the said switch, through the interrupter, the electromagnetic device 1, and the rheostat in the manner above set forth, thereby causing the interrupter to be'vibrated and repeatedly interruptin gthe charging-current. Ateach interruption there isasharp. rise of potential between the two sides of the circuit, owing to the kick or selfinductive impulse of the electromagnetic device. This impulse is transmitted to the condenser, passing, for example, from line 2,switch 11,wires 32 38, coil 5,wire 37 to condenser 4, the connection leading from the other side of the condenser through wires 33 34, arm 18, wire 19, coil 14, wire 20, arm 17, wire 25, coil 15, wire 24, rheostat 10, wire 26, and switch 11 to line 3, the two coils 14 15 thus being in series and exerting their combined effect in charging the condenser. As soon as this selfinduction impulse has reached its maximum and has correspondingly charged the condenser the potential in the electromagnetic device. will begin to fall and the condenser will begin to discharge through the condenser circuit and coil 5. At this momentor immediately thereafter the interrupter will close a condenser discharge-circuit at the terminals 28, 30, 29, and 31, the discharge passing from the condenser through wire 33, contacts 31 29, conductor 36, contacts 28 30, wire 38, coil 5, and wire 37 to the otherside of the condenser. This discharge-circuit will be of extremely low resistance, as it does not include any part of the charging-coils 14 15.

The primary inducing-coil 5 is preferably formed with very few turns, thus decreasing the resistance to the minimum. Owing to the low. resistance of this circuit, the oscillatory discharge therein will have a correspondingly high periodicity, and high frequencies say several hundred thousands per secondcan be obtained, It is essential to this effect that the interrupter should close contact as near as possible at the time of discharge, so that the condenser will' discharge upon a closing "these impulses passing core 12 result in and not upon an opening contact, and the discharge-circuit is thus of a minimum resistance.

When theapparatus is to be used with alternating supply-circuits, the switch 9 is mov ed to the full-line position,- so that the coil 14 will be energized from the line independently of the interrupter, so that the magnetic oscillations in the core 12 will be in correspondence with the alternating current. The coil 15 will also be energized from the line in parallel with coil 14 and through the interrupter, and the elastic armature-support 40 should be adjusted, as above described, so that the armature will freely vibrate in synchronism with the alternating current and thecoils 14 and 15 will operate in synchronism, the coil 14 serving to control the rate of vibration. The oscillations in magneticflux in the corresponding electrical oscillations in the condenser-circuit, which is connected to the ends of the coils from line' 2 through wires 32 38, coil 5, wire 37 to one side of the condenser and from the other side thereof through wire 34, arm 18, wire 25, coil 15, Wire 24, rheostat 10, and wire 26 moment when the condenser has. received a charge through this connection the armature 13 allows the interrupter to close the circuit, thus establishing a discharge-circuitfor the condenser independentof the electromagnetic device 1, said discharge-circuit leading from the condenser through wire 33, terminals 31 29, spring 36, terminals 28 30, wire 38, coil 5, and wire 37 to the other side of" the condenser. The change in connections made by the switch 9 in changing from direct to alternating currentserves, first, to cut out the interrupter from the supply connection for one energizarmature, and, in thesecond place,.to reduce the number of turns of the energizing-circuit coils in parallel relation. This is necessary for the reason that in an alternating circuit the mean, or etl'ective electromotive force is of course much less thanthe maximum electromotive force, so thatjn changing from direct to alternating current of the same nominal potential the turns of winding must be decreased correspondingly to give the same magnetizing effect. In theform of winding shown this reduction is in the ratio of two to one, which l'liave found to work well in practice,as it gives substantially the same discharge effect with alternating and direct currents of approximately the same'nominal potential.

in order that the closure of the contacts in the condenser discharge-circuit may be rightly timed as far as possible, an iron or conducting shell 45 may be provided around the magwindings in series in by placlng the two,

' netic device 1 to vary or control the electromagnetic lag therein and by consequent efclosureas near as 14 and 15,

to line 3. Atthe d described, comprising an electroma clude the windings of fect on the armature ,13 bring the time of possible to the time of beginning ot' the discharge.

What I claim is- 1. In an electrical apparatus for the purpose described, an electromagnetic device for generating impulses by self-inductive action,

and a plurality of energizing connections for I said device adapting the same for supply-currents of different etfective electromotive force. 2. In an electrical apparatus for the-purpose described, an electromagnetic device for generating impulses by self-inductive action, aplurality of energizing connections therefor, including, respectively, a different number of turns of winding, and a switch for bringing one or the other of such connections into operation.

3. An electrical apparatus for the purpose described, comprising an electromagnetic device for generating impulses by self-inductive.

action, an interrupter operated by said electromagnetic device,a circuit in energizing connection for said electromagnetic device, including said interrupter and an energizing connection for said electromagnetic device inependent of said, interrupter, and a switch for bringing one or the other-of such energizing connections into operation.

An electrical apparatus-for the purpose described,'comprising an electromagnetic device for generating impulses by self-inductive action, energizing connections for said electromagnetic device, respectively including difierent numbers of turns of winding of said device, and an interrupter operated by said electromagnetic device and included in the energizing-circuit having the lesser number of turns.

5. An electrical apparatus for the purpose netic device for generating impulses by self-inductive action, energizing connections forsaid electromagnetic device, respectively includin different numbers of turns of Winding of'sai device, a condensencircuit connected to inboth of said energizmg connections in series, and a discharge-circuit inductively connected to said condenser-circuit.'

6. An electrical apparatus comprising a condenser, charging connections therefor including an electromagnetic induction device, and a vibratory interrupter operated by said device, and an energizing connection for the induction device independent of the interrupter for control thereof by alternating current.

7. An electrical apparatus comprising a condenser, charging connections therefor including an electromagnetic induction device, a vibratory interrupter operated by said device, an energizing connection for'the induction device independent of the interrupter for control thereof by alternating current,

and means for adjusting the rate of vibration j vice, an energizing connection for the inof said interrupter. duction device independent of the inter- 8. An electrical apparatus comprising a rupter for control thereof by alternating curcondenser, charging connections therefor inrent, means for adjusting the rate of vibracluding an electromagnetic induction device, tion of said interrupter consisting of an elasa vibratory interrupter operated by said detic ribbon supporting the armature thereof, vice, an energizing connection for the ina rotatable support for one end of the ribbon, duction device independent of the interand set-screw means for adjusting the rotary 25 rupter for control thereof by alternating curl position of said support.

rent, means for adjusting the rate of vi- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set bration of said interrupter consisting of an my hand,at Los Angeles,California,this 13th elastic tensile support therefor, and means day of July, 1904.

for adjusting the tension of said support. j JAMES E SEELEY 9. An electrical apparatus comprising a condenser, charging connections therefor in- In presence of eluding an electromagnetic induction device, a vibratory interrupter operated by said de- A. P. KNIGHT, GEORGE T. HACKLEY. 

